14 Steel Workers Roasted Posted on April 26, 2011

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FOURTEEN PERSONS including an Indian staff of Western Steel and Forgings Limited, Tema, have sustained severe injuries following two separate explosions at the smelting company last Thursday and Friday.

Two of the victims, whose genitals were said to have been damaged in the last explosion at the Oxygen Plant of the smelter, are currently receiving treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra where they were rushed to after the ghastly accident.

Five of the 11 injured persons in Thursday’s explosion at the Melting Furnace Plant who were immediately rushed to the Narh-Bita Hospital in Tema, had been treated and discharged, according to information gathered by DAILY GUIDE at the facility.

Narrating the incident to DAILY GUIDE at the Narh-Bita Hospital, William Nuamah, one of the six hospitalized victims at the facility, said on Thursday morning when he and his 10 colleagues arrived at the furnace, a supervisor ordered them to top up a container with smelting metal which should have been done by the night-shift workers.

He said they expressed reluctance at the supervisor’s order but “because we have no say in the company, we obliged and moved to the furnace to carry out the task”.

He said just as a crane had lifted one of the containers carrying the smelted liquid metal, they heard a heavy thump on the floor, spattering the hot metal liquid on workers who stood close, injuring 12 of them including the Indian.

According to Richard, another victim, the two accidents, which took place on Thursday and Friday were the fourth to be recorded at the company in less than seven months, with the first happening in December 2010 and the second in February this year.

He alleged that but for the injured Indian staff, Chandirka Bhagt, the management of the company would not have visited them at the hospital.

Chandirka Bhagt was burnt on the face and legs and was at a special ward of Narh-Bita Hospital when DAILY GUIDE visited the medical facility last Sunday after a previous visit, shortly after the incident.

Richard said luck smiled at them when on Saturday the management of the company visited them and handed them their four-month salary.

He said it would come as a big surprise to him should management continue to foot their hospital bills as the days went by, alleging that management was noted for deserting their injured workers.

Abraham Koomson, General Secretary of the Ghana Federation of Labour, speaking to DAILY GUIDE on phone, described as unfortunate management of the company’s reluctance to explain what might have caused the explosions to his outfit.

He wondered why the management failed to report the first explosion to the police, as well as the second which according him, had caused severe damage to the genitals of some of the victims.

He said the explosions raised serious concerns about the safety of workers in the country’s industries, accusing the Inspectorate Division of the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare of negligence of duty.

The Division, he explained, had a duty to inspect industry practices and ensure that they conformed to safety requirements and standards “but I can tell you that it has ducked its responsibility, therefore endangering the lives of factory workers in the country”.

He strongly called on the Ministry to, as soon as possible, close down any company whose industrial practices posed health threats to its workers.

Tema Mayor Kempes Ofosu-Ware and the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) Frank Asante were at the facility to wish the victims speedy recovery.

The mayor promised to visit the company with his team of Environmental Health officers on Tuesday to inspect the condition at the factory.

Except for Richard Nartey, whose condition looked quite critical as his whole body had been bandaged, the other victims at the Narh-Bita Hospital were in stable condition.

DAILY GUIDE’s phone calls to a certain Nana Tamakloe, believed to be the Corporate Manager of Western Steel and Forgings Limited, went unanswered.

By Razak Mardorgyz Abubakar & Vincent Kubi, Tema
Source:Daily Guide

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